ing to protect our Merchants. It is certain, at least, that the Spaniards did, and do ftill continue their Outrages with very little Moleftation, and without any confiderable Reprisals made on our Parts: Nay, the Commanders of our Squadrons were fo far from giving any Affiftance to our Merchants in those Seas, that it is well known the Exigences of the publick Service obliged them to make fuch an Imprefs on their Ships (to fupply the great Lofs and Destruction of the Men on board our Squadrons) as rendered them unable to perform their Voyages.

His reasoning therefore on this Head is reduced to one of thefe Points; either first, that the Naval Force fent to thofe Parts was not fufficient to perform fuch different Services; or fecondly, that our Admiral and Commanders did apprehend themselves to be confined or embaraffed by fome Cautions and Limitations; or thirdly, that they either neglected, or did not understand their Duty; which would be fuch a Reflection upon the Skill, Courage and Integrity of thofe excellent Officers, as will not easily pass upon the World.

THE Pamphleteer hath produced Part of one Letter from Admiral Hofier, in which he gives an Account, contrary to the general Opinion here till this Time, that the Spaniards had disembarked their Treafure,

and

and fent it back to Panama, before he arrived in the Baflimentos: Upon which this Writer obferves, that he could not have taken any Thing but empty Hulks; and then feems to think himself very smart in asking, Whether fuch a Pledge would have had much Influence on the Counfels of Spain? To which I reply, firft, that this is nothing to the Purpofe; because it is plain, that the Admiral had no Power to fieze the Galleons, in case they had not been unloaded; so that his Arrival could have no other Effect, than that of their own Advice-Boat, to make them fecure their Treafure. Secondly, I do not think it would have been fuch bad Policy to have taken even the empty Hulks, or burnt them in the Fort (fo that the Spaniards could have no farther use of them) and to have failed immediately to Vera Cruz, and feized the Flota, inftead of lying fo long to watch empty Hulks, till our own Ships became rotten, and almost empty Hulks themfelves.

I COULD wifh, for the farther Information and Satisfaction of the Publick, that the Pamphleteer had found it convenient to give us the Sight of all Admiral Hofier's Letters; for no doubt he must have sent several during his long and difaftrous Continuance on that Station; from whence perhaps we might have had fome farther Light into this Affair, or collected at least what his Opinion was of

the

the Nature of his Inftructions, and the Conduct of that Expedition; however, it is well known in what Manner he expreffed himself upon feveral Occafions, both at Jamaica, and in Letters to his Friends in England.

I AM ready to fubfcribe, with the greateft Pleasure and Sincerity, to all the Encomiums, which this Writer makes on Sir Charles Wager; whom I know to be a Gentleman of the most amiable Character

both in publick and private Life. I am confident that no Difficulties or Dangers could deter him from doing his Duty; that no Temptations could prevail upon him to betray his Truft, and that he did not want the greatest Skill and Abilities to execute it. I have the fame good Opinion of Sir John Jennings, and other Commanders, who were fent upon those Services; and when the Pamphleteer was in his panegyrical Strain, I could wish that he had done Juftice to their Characters, and likewife paid fome fmall Tribute of Gratitude to the Memory of thofe brave Officers, who had the Misfortune to perish (I was going to fay, were facrificed) in the Service of their Country. But they are dead, and have it not now in their Power to justify themselves or to accuse others.

BUT to return I do not find by the Orders given to Sir Charles Wager, the 22d of December 1726, that he was impowered

to intercept any Ships with Stores, Ammunition or Provifions, bound for the Spanish Camp, then in Sight of Gibraltar, in order to befiege it; nor inftructed, even by the foft Endeavours of Perfwafion, or otherwife, to get them or their Cargo into his Poffeffion, in order to difable them from beginning Hostilities, notwithstanding the fame Orders directed him to reinforce the Garrifon of Gibraltar, which was then going to be befieged, by fending the Land Forces then on board Admiral Hopfon's Squadron, and in cafe of Need, to give all the Relief and Affiftance he was able to the faid Garrifon; though I have been credibly informed, the Spaniards were permitted to pass by our Squadron, even under the Stern of the Admiral, and fafely land Stores, Provifions, Ammunition and other Neceffaries for the Siege of that Place.

IF this be true, as I am affured it is, I fhould be glad to know for what Reasons his Inftructions ran in that foft Strain, or why fo much Complaifance was fhewn to the Spaniards, upon the Occafion of such an undisguised Defign against that important Fortrefs. I am the more defirous to know this, because I am fure it could not proceed from any want of Vigilance or Zeal in that brave and excellent Officer, who is a Man of too established a Character to fuffer in any Body's Opinion, by the oblique and un

generous

generous Infinuation of this Writer, after all his Compliments, that he was not attended with his former good Fortune.

THE Pamphleteer, having thus refuted the Objections against the fuppofed Inactivity of our Squadrons, by producing fome Parts of the Inftructions to the Commanders of them, and fhewn, as he tells us, that the Loffes of our Merchants have not been owing to any want of that Care, which the Government ought always to take for the Protection of our Trade ; he proceeds in the next Place, to give us fome Account of thofe Captures, which he fays are not near fo confiderable as they have been reprefented; and having prefaced this Part likewife, with a great many angry Reflections, he produces a Lift of Twenty-fix Ships, which he would have us believe to be ALL that we have really lost. His Addrefs in cooking up this Account is very remarkable.

1. WE are told this is an exact Lift of all fuch Ships as have been taken by the Spanis ards in the West Indies, fince the Conclufion of the Treaty of Hanover. But why should he confine it thus to Place and Time? I mentioned, indeed, only three Tears paft, because of the Frequency of the Captures during that Time; but if I had undertaken to give the Publick an Account of all our Loffes, I fhould certainly have begun my AcC

Count